Shredded Belt

[veebs]

Hi all,

I've managed to shred about half the width of what I think is the serpentine belt on the D4 - the belt visible at the front of the car, with ribs running along its length. I fished a handful of it out from around the fan too. Naturally, this all happened on top of a mountain at Julimar State Forest!

It's making a hell of a screeching and rattling noise, but I was able to limp home. My non-mechanic guess is a bearing has failed, sending it out of alignment.

What is the penalty for this thing snapping? I'll take it to in to get fixed today, but trying to work out if that is best done by flatbed or if it's safe to just drive it there?

[DiscoJeffster]

Remembering from when I recently had mine apart, it drives the alternator, water pump, fan, a/c and power steering(?)
It’s failure would be a flatbed trip. It’s quite simple to replace but if you’re worried it’s failed because of a bearing etc then maybe best to flat bed it there

[loanrangie]

They do age but generally its because a bearing has gone or shaft has walked causing misalignment, usual suspects are PS or water pump but any accessory driven by the belt could be the cause.
Easy enough to replace but check all the pulleys and tensioner for bearing noise and fore/aft movement.

[veebs]

Thanks guys - confirming what I suspected.

It's getting a piggy-back ride to the workshop this morning. Will be interesting to see what the cause is/was!

[Globetrotter]

If all was working OK, my guess would be the idler pulley

[veebs]

Yep, idler pulley AND tensioner failed... getting it sorted now, but some epically bad luck (and good luck it didn't die before limping home!)

[matti4556]

(and good luck it didn't die before limping home!)

Its always great to be able to limp home. The alternative is just plain brutal.
I was in the middle of Kroombit Tops National Park once. Mentioned to the Missus while I was staring at the Topo map. "You know, this is the point of no return. We are as far from help in any direction as we can be". The D1 must have heard this and then proceeded to crap its fuel pump.... the rest is history. [bigsad]
In Military parlance - "a battle is always fought on the intersection of 4 maps, in the dark......... in the rain."

[winaje]

I fitted a "brand new" idler pulley recently and still had belt issues. Found it was worth getting a good quality one, I ended up using a Dayco.

[veebs]

All sorted now - the idler pulley has completely seised, throwing the belt off track and causing the tensioner to also fail. she's sounding much better now!